Melon soup is a soup prepared with
melon
A melon is any of various plants of the family Cucurbitaceae with sweet, edible, and fleshy fruit. The word "melon" can refer to either the plant or specifically to the fruit. Botanically, a melon is a kind of berry, specifically a "pepo". T ...
as a primary ingredient.
Melons such as
bitter melon
''Momordica charantia'' (commonly called bitter melon; Goya; bitter apple; bitter gourd; bitter squash; balsam-pear; with many more names listed below) is a tropical and subtropical vine of the family Cucurbitaceae, widely grown in Asia, Af ...
,
cantaloupe
The cantaloupe, rockmelon (Australia and New Zealand, although cantaloupe is used in some states of Australia), sweet melon, or spanspek (Southern Africa) is a melon that is a variety of the muskmelon species (''Cucumis melo'') from the fami ...
,
crenshaw melon,
honeydew (casaba melon) and
winter melon
''Benincasa hispida'', the wax gourd, also called ash gourd, white gourd, winter gourd, winter melon, tallow gourd, ash pumpkin, Chinese preserving melon is a vine grown for its very large fruit, eaten as a vegetable when mature. It is the o ...
may be used,
among others. Some melon soups are prepared with whole pieces of melon, and others use
purée
A purée (or mash) is cooked food, usually vegetables, fruits or legumes, that has been ground, pressed, blended or sieved to the consistency of a creamy paste or liquid. Purées of specific foods are often known by specific names, e.g., app ...
d melon.
Some are served hot, while others are served chilled.
Some cold varieties are prepared without any cooking involved.
Several styles and varieties of melon soups exist, including bitter melon soup, cantaloupe soup and winter melon soup,
among others. The origin of some melon soup recipes may cross international boundaries.
Varieties
Bitter melon soup
Bitter melon soup is prepared using
bitter melon
''Momordica charantia'' (commonly called bitter melon; Goya; bitter apple; bitter gourd; bitter squash; balsam-pear; with many more names listed below) is a tropical and subtropical vine of the family Cucurbitaceae, widely grown in Asia, Af ...
as a primary ingredient, and is a part of
Chinese cuisine
Chinese cuisine encompasses the numerous cuisines originating from China, as well as overseas cuisines created by the Chinese diaspora. Because of the Chinese diaspora and historical power of the country, Chinese cuisine has influenced many o ...
.
In
Cantonese
Cantonese ( zh, t=廣東話, s=广东话, first=t, cy=Gwóngdūng wá) is a language within the Chinese (Sinitic) branch of the Sino-Tibetan languages originating from the city of Guangzhou (historically known as Canton) and its surrounding a ...
, bitter melon is referred to as "the cooling melon," using the term ''leung gwa''.
In the region of China's
Pearl River Delta
The Pearl River Delta Metropolitan Region (PRD; ; pt, Delta do Rio das Pérolas (DRP)) is the low-lying area surrounding the Pearl River estuary, where the Pearl River flows into the South China Sea. Referred to as the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Ma ...
, bitter melon soup is prepared from fresh melons during the summer, and also from dried bitter melon powder during other seasons.
It may be prepared including fish such as bass or carp.
bitter melon
''Momordica charantia'' (commonly called bitter melon; Goya; bitter apple; bitter gourd; bitter squash; balsam-pear; with many more names listed below) is a tropical and subtropical vine of the family Cucurbitaceae, widely grown in Asia, Af ...
soup
File:Saigon Bitter melon soup.jpg, Bitter melon soup at a restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Cantaloupe soup
Cantaloupe soup is prepared with
cantaloupe
The cantaloupe, rockmelon (Australia and New Zealand, although cantaloupe is used in some states of Australia), sweet melon, or spanspek (Southern Africa) is a melon that is a variety of the muskmelon species (''Cucumis melo'') from the fami ...
as a primary ingredient. It may be prepared in puréed form and is typically served chilled.
It is sometimes referred to as muskmelon soup. Cantaloupe soup may be served as a first
course
Course may refer to:
Directions or navigation
* Course (navigation), the path of travel
* Course (orienteering), a series of control points visited by orienteers during a competition, marked with red/white flags in the terrain, and corresponding ...
or starter dish prior to a main course.
The use of well-ripened cantaloupe can create an optimal texture and enhance the sweet flavor of the soup.
Additional ingredients can include lime juice, lemon juice, apple juice, orange juice, salt, pepper, herbs such as mint or basil, cayenne pepper and balsamic vinegar.
Spicy versions may be prepared using chili peppers.
A cantaloupe soup recipe using one large cantaloupe melon, one-half cup orange juice and one-quarter cup of honey has 147 calories per one-cup serving.
cantaloupe
The cantaloupe, rockmelon (Australia and New Zealand, although cantaloupe is used in some states of Australia), sweet melon, or spanspek (Southern Africa) is a melon that is a variety of the muskmelon species (''Cucumis melo'') from the fami ...
soup
Watermelon soup
Watermelon soup is prepared with
watermelon
Watermelon (''Citrullus lanatus'') is a flowering plant species of the Cucurbitaceae family and the name of its edible fruit. A scrambling and trailing vine-like plant, it is a highly cultivated fruit worldwide, with more than 1,000 varie ...
as a primary ingredient, and may be served chilled.
The seeds of the watermelon may be removed, or seedless watermelon may be used, and additional ingredients can include additional fruits, ginger, chili pepper and sugar.
Watermelon
Watermelon (''Citrullus lanatus'') is a flowering plant species of the Cucurbitaceae family and the name of its edible fruit. A scrambling and trailing vine-like plant, it is a highly cultivated fruit worldwide, with more than 1,000 varie ...
soup at a restaurant
Winter melon soup
Winter melon soup is prepared with
winter melon
''Benincasa hispida'', the wax gourd, also called ash gourd, white gourd, winter gourd, winter melon, tallow gourd, ash pumpkin, Chinese preserving melon is a vine grown for its very large fruit, eaten as a vegetable when mature. It is the o ...
as a primary ingredient
and is a part of
Chinese cuisine
Chinese cuisine encompasses the numerous cuisines originating from China, as well as overseas cuisines created by the Chinese diaspora. Because of the Chinese diaspora and historical power of the country, Chinese cuisine has influenced many o ...
and the
cuisine of Hong Kong.
It is served often at Chinese
banquet
A banquet (; ) is a formal large meal where a number of people consume food together. Banquets are traditionally held to enhance the prestige of a host, or reinforce social bonds among joint contributors. Modern examples of these purposes i ...
s.
Winter melon soup may have a slightly sweet flavor.
Some recipes may use several ingredients in addition to winter melon,
which may include ham, carrot, mushrooms
and chicken.
Winter melon soup may be served hot, yet has been described as having a cooling effect upon the body when consumed.
The soup was recorded in the volume thirty-four of
Sheng Ji Zong Lu Sheng may refer to:
* Sheng (instrument) (笙), a Chinese wind instrument
* Sheng (surname) (盛), a Chinese surname
* Sheng (Chinese opera), a major role in Chinese opera
* Sheng (升), ancient Chinese unit of volume, approximately 1 liter
* Shen ...
( zh, 聖濟總錄)
winter melon
''Benincasa hispida'', the wax gourd, also called ash gourd, white gourd, winter gourd, winter melon, tallow gourd, ash pumpkin, Chinese preserving melon is a vine grown for its very large fruit, eaten as a vegetable when mature. It is the o ...
soup
File:WintermelonSoup.jpg, A winter melon soup served from a bowl carved from a melon
File:Winter melon soup.jpg, Another winter melon soup served from a carved melon bowl
See also
*
Fruit soup
Fruit soup is a soup prepared using fruit as a primary ingredient, and may be served warm or cold depending on the recipe. Some fruit soups use several varieties of fruit, and alcoholic beverages such as rum, sherry and kirsch (a fruit brandy) ma ...
*
Pumpkin soup
*
List of melon dishes
This is a list of melon dishes and foods that use melon as a primary ingredient. A melon is any of various plants of the family Cucurbitaceae with edible, fleshy fruit. The word "melon" can refer to either the plant or specifically to the fruit.
...
*
List of soups
This is a list of notable soups. Soups have been made since Ancient history, ancient times.
Some soups are served with large chunks of meat or vegetables left in the liquid, while others are served as a broth. A broth is a flavored liquid usua ...
References
{{Soups
Fruit soups
Melon dishes